Month: October 2021

The study found that Australians in the field of manufacturing/engineering have suffered a 10% decline in mental wellbeing since the start of the pandemic. Manufacturing/engineering workers ranked the lockdown (52%) as the primary factor negatively affecting their mental health. This was followed by a lack of connection with friends and family (45%) and health concerns (38%). Mental health and wellbeing, just like physical health, can change and be altered over time. Those employed in manufacturing/engineering have noticed emotional changes, with an increase in negative thoughts (55%) as a result of the pandemic and lockdowns the highest in any industry sector. Over half (55%) have experienced an increase in feeling stressed and anxious and 41% have seen an increase in feelings of loneliness. Stephanie Thompson, Workplaces Program Lead at WayAhead, believes that while the research findings are concerning, it shows why, now more than ever, we need to ‘tune in’ to our mental wellbeing – the theme of this year’s Mental Health Month. “No matter…

According to Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro, the campaign builds on those deployed by the organisation over the last 12 months. “The ‘Buy Australian’ message has never been more resonant with Aussie consumers,” said Lazarro. “Pleasingly, supporting our local makers and growers continues to be the focus of many as we look beyond lockdowns and restrictions. This campaign seeks to help continue to drive that pro-Australian momentum.” The ‘Buy Australian Now’ initiative will run throughout October and November with the multi-channel marketing campaign spanning TV, out-of-home, print, online and social media. Importantly, the campaign’s TV and radio advertisements feature the hit Aussie track ‘For Now’ from local artist BATTS. Footage from AMCL’s renowned ‘Australian Makers’ video series is also heavily featured throughout the TV ad. “This campaign features Aussie music and behind-the-scenes footage from the local factories, workshops and farms of some of the country’s most innovative makers,” said Lazzaro. “These are real businesses,…

Project i-TRACE will underpin Rail’s Digital Future by providing the foundation upon which the rail industry can build its digital capabilities. A fundamental requirement for success in implementing Project i-TRACE is adding the required GS1 data to products. GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains the most widely used global standards for efficient business communication. “We have been providing marking solutions to various industries for over 60 years,” said Adam Nichol, Managing Director at Nichol Industries. “We look forward to sharing our knowledge and expertise with GS1, the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and the rail industry on the implementing this important initiative.” The rail industry involves a huge number and variety of parts. Based in of Nunawading, Victoria, Nichol Industries was successful in achieving certification due to its broad range of marking solutions along with a detailed understanding of the Project i-TRACE requirements. Its solutions include laser marking machines, dot peen marking machines, labels, and tags, as well as scanners and readers. “We have always considered ourselves to…

In metalworking, typical examples of these systems are unit-built machines and modular fixtures. As for cutting tools, modular structures have proven their efficiency in this area as well, and various tool manufacturers have developed their own modular products that are popular with their customers. The main benefits of modularity are versatility and time-savings. A modular concept facilitates the quick and easy building of an optimally customised cutting tool using an assembly of standardised elements. Hence, customers don’t have to order a costly, specialised tool and wait for months for it to be delivered. If a tool is urgently needed for immediate production, a suitable solution is close at hand. This concept contributes to reducing warehouse stock and diminishing inventory lists that cut manufacturing costs. However, the modular tool concept is not free of disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the decrease of rigidity; an assembly of several elements will not be as stiff as an integral product, and the assembled structure may lose accuracy when compared to a one-piece design. When deciding on…

“We need to get the gas from under our feet.” So said Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a speech in late January, emphasising his plans for a ‘gas-led recovery’ following the COVID-19 pandemic. Morrison has committed a whopping $6bn to the development of gas in Australia, in an economic strategy that is entirely contrary to the interests of the country. Meanwhile, Australian manufacturing is in decline, despite the significant contribution that the industry can – and already does – make towards the economy and the national interest. Our economic recovery should be led by manufacturing. It should take advantage of, and build on, the substantial innovation, skills and technology that are readily available. Government, at all levels, must invest in the manufacturing sector to support its growth. Australia’s COVID-19 recovery cannot be resource-led. It must be manufacturing-led. Now is the time to rejuvenate our manufacturing industry – to make manufacturing a…

The 217sqm unit, which has a bigger footprint than the average Australian house, has been moved from the shipyard’s primary manufacturing hall into the next stage of production where it will be outfitted and consolidated (with the addition of three more units) into the first prototyping block. The prototype unit is one of four in the first representative ship block and is the first to have been blasted and painted, cut and constructed in the new Shipyard. This particular unit and block are located in the middle of the ship and would contain the Officer’s Accommodation. BAE Systems Maritime Australia Managing Director, Craig Lockhart said: “This is a significant production milestone for the Hunter frigate program and an important start towards establishing shipbuilding capability across the Osborne Shipyard. Osborne is one of the world’s most technologically advanced shipyards, a purpose-built modern manufacturing facility built for the digital age to deliver next generation anti-submarine warships by a…

Regional rolling stock across Australia and New Zealand is experiencing a surge in refurbishment programs aimed at extending the usable life of the interior spaces and amenities. Vehicle structure (as well as propulsion, braking and so on) are retained, while rejuvenating and refreshing the interior spaces as a means to upgrading the rolling stock or repurposing it for emerging markets, growing needs or new destinations. The challenge The traditional method of refurbishing a carriage is to produce 2D CAD drawings and imagery to convey the approach, and to then rely on the experience of manufacturing personnel to implement the designs directly into the carriage at full scale. The process is time-consuming due to a range of issues: Components and brackets are often custom-made due to specific designs and low quantities. Solutions often have to be compromised to be suitable for production requirements. Feedback from stakeholders and management is only possible on a full-scale mock-up or an actual first-iteration 1:1 build. Construction of structures in situ…

Leading Australian businesses and researchers will come together to develop the rover, backed by $50m in funding from the Trailblazer program in the Government’s Moon to Mars initiative. The semi-autonomous rover will collect lunar soil that contains oxides, and using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil, as a step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the Moon and supporting future missions to Mars. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia’s mission to the Moon would contribute to growing the post-COVID economic recovery and create more jobs for Australians. “This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector, and is central to our Government’s vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy,” said Morrison. “By 2030, we want to triple the size of our space sector – adding $12bn to our economy and creating up to 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs – providing more opportunities for Australians and industries. “Our Government has invested…

As Product Specialist and Operations Engineer at Hofmann Engineering, Karl Hofmann manages the company’s rail portfolio, and he’s looking forward to working on the Alstom METRONET project with his rail team. Hofmann Engineering will commence manufacture of bogie frames for the project’s railcars at its Bassendean manufacturing site in east Perth early next year. “The Transfer of Technology process between Alstom and Hofmann is now being undertaken,” says Karl. “This includes detailed manufacturing plans that needs to be prepared before the bogie production commences. That’s what’s being undertaken at the moment and we have a team of six people working on this phase of the project.” As a global business headquartered in Perth, Hofmann Engineering is well equipped to handle large railcar bogie frame orders. It also manufactures bogies at its Bendigo factory for Public Transport Victoria’s High-Capacity Metro Trains. The first of these passenger trains entered service in Melbourne’s train network in December 2020, and will be rolling stock for the METRO Tunnel when it opens in…

Jobs numbers are expected to exceed 300 over the life of the project. The partnership is expected to create thousands of jobs in years to come. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said as a result of the partnership, Gladstone would become a world-leading hub for the manufacture of electrolysers – vital to the production of renewable hydrogen. “We’re seeing growing interest globally in renewable hydrogen,” said Palaszczuk. “We don’t just want to export our resources – we want to develop a manufacturing industry capable of making the electrolysers in Queensland as well. Andrew Forrest (Chairman of FFI) and I both see Queensland’s great potential as a renewables exporter and manufacturer of hydrogen equipment. This partnership will create local jobs, support our economic recovery and create an advanced manufacturing industry in Gladstone that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country.” In its initial stage, the $114m investment from FFI will create 120 construction jobs and 53 operational jobs. Jobs numbers are expected to exceed…

CSIRO Team Leader Dr Robert Wilson said researchers used low-cost titanium alloy particulates like machining swarf to produce a wire that can be used to make 3D-printed parts such as aerospace components. “The result is a product that is significantly cheaper than titanium wire made by conventional processes,“ Dr Wilson said. The wire is being fine-tuned for use in large format additive manufacturing such as Sciaky electron beam manufacturing and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) – processes that melt the wire to form beads that stick together to create a layer of metal material that is then built up to form the 3D-printed part. The global market for titanium wire is worth over $200m. There is a lucrative market for 2.5mm to 3mm titanium wire as feed for this type of wire-additive manufacturing, and the cheaper wire generated from recycled sources can also be used to produce metal powders for 3D printing. The patented wire extrusion process, which is optimised using computational modelling, is being demonstrated to produce 50kg…

OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath Robotics, develops market-leading AMRs that enhance the logistical operations of facilities in order to re-allocate valuable manpower to more specialised tasks. These mobile robot platforms are designed to withstand the day-to-day rigors of industrial environments while maintaining the safety of the human operators around them. OTTO AMRs are being used by Fortune 500 manufacturing companies to deliver cost reductions and operational efficiencies. ADDE has extensive experience developing automation solutions for the Australian industry with robotics and custom engineered solutions. “We see enormous opportunity to improve efficiency and safety in manufacturing and distribution operations with autonomous vehicles,” said Barry Hendy, ADDE Managing Director. “Like traditional robots, AMRs require a complete solution design and tight integration with existing equipment, workflows and data systems. The OTTO range of vehicles and the supervising Fleet Manager system give us a powerful capability to offer turnkey solutions to our clients.” John Stikes, Director – Strategic Alliances at OTTO Motors, added: “As we have deployed our systems…